Imperial Logistics won the Logistics Award for its
contribution to addressing the skills gap in the industry through its 'Fast
Forward skills development initiative', at the African Access National Business
Awards held on 17 July 2012 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Other competitors
in this category included McDonalds South Africa, Renault SA, Berco Express, the
Automotive Industry Development Centre and the Electoral Commission of South
Africa.
Colette
Wessels, Training and Development Manager at IMPERPIAL Logistics receiving the
prize from Arend du Preez, Managing Director of Kintetsu World Express, sponsor
of this category. |
The awards recognise and honour top
performers in business at individual, organisational and governmental level.
This year's 10th annual awards event was hosted by SABC's Morning Live
presenters Leanne Manas and Vuyo Mbuli and attended by over 500 of South
Africa's top business and government figures.
Marketing executive,
Michelle Neilson and training and development manager, Colette Wessels,
represented Imperial on the night.
The Fast Forward programme aims to
grow the South African supply chain industry's skills base, by providing supply
chain and logistics education and professional development for current and
aspiring supply chain professionals. It receives a significant percentage of the
group's total skills development spend, which was increased from just under R37
million in 2009/2010 to R55 million in the 2010/2011 financial year.
The
group aims to achieve some very specific outcomes through the programme. Its
CEO, Marius Swanepoel, elaborates, "At a national level, we are striving to
address demographic inequities, while developing scarce priority skills -
industrial engineers, for example, and specialised supply chain management
skills. At an industry level, we aim to elevate the visibility of logistics and
supply chain management, while at an organisational level, our aim is to give
our people access to lifelong learning, thereby ensuring career mobility for
them. Through Fast Forward, we are actively pursuing developmental outcomes for
our economy, our industry and our people."
On the industry collaboration
and research side, Fast Forward includes a partnership with the Gordon Institute
of Business Science (GIBS), with which the group is developing supply chain
education programmes and coordinating industry research. Final year project
coaching and mentorship is also being undertaken, as well as guest lecturing and
sponsorships in partnership with tertiary institutions and professional bodies.
For more information on the award winners, see the
National Business Award winners.